Rochester voters back water challenge, preserve historic district

ROCHESTER — Annual Town Meeting voters approved plans to gain more rights to the town's own nearby water supply and defeated a move to abolish the town center historic district.

MICHAEL J. DECICCO

ROCHESTER — Annual Town Meeting voters approved plans to gain more rights to the town's own nearby water supply and defeated a move to abolish the town center historic district.

The meeting endorsed seeking special state legislation to require the city of New Bedford to pay Rochester 10 cents for every 1,000 gallons of water the city processes through its facility located in Rochester and sells to surrounding municipalities.

"New Bedford draws millions of gallons of water from there," Selectman Richard Nunes said. "It is selling our water for profit to other places."

Town counsel Blair S. Bailey said the city charges about $1.83 per gallon for the water.

The meeting also approved seeking special legislation mandating that New Bedford and Taunton reserve a percentage of their water supply from the Assawompset Pond Complex for the town's use.

Nunes explained that the town has no legal right to share in part of the pond's "maximum safe yield," the most amount of water the two cities can draw from the pond complex per year.

"Rochester had filed a lawsuit to be allotted some of this yield," Nunes said. "The town was not successful. The yield is already dedicated to Taunton and New Bedford. We've been told we have no right to the water until we have a water supply system. We have to act."

The town is acting now, Water Commissioner Frederick Underhill said, because water withdrawal permits recently expired and the next permits will be valid for the next 20 years.

The meeting's most contentious debate came before the defeat of an article proposing that the town center historic district be eliminated.

Tom Skrutski said he favored the move because the historic district has been nothing but trouble for him as the owner of a home within it, with too many restrictions on what he can do with his property.

"I do like the town's history," Skrutski said. "But how would you like a group of people telling you what you can do with your own property? Everything's been done wrong with this district. Consider us home-

owners the victim of this. Free us from this so we can enjoy our homes."

Historic District Committee Chairwoman Debra Ladd countered: "Never in the commonwealth has a community eliminated an historic district. These districts are meant to protect and sometimes enhance these areas. This was voted in because we believe we have a rich historical character. Once that character is gone, future generations won't be able to enjoy it."

She said the district is not as restrictive as some think and the commission tries to be flexible with property owners. She indicated a vote against the district might be illegal because the issue did not go through a public hearing process.

Arnold Johnson of the Planning Board said, "Rules are in place to protect abutters, to give them the chance to come forward with their point of view. We shouldn't throw out the whole thing when one person is aggrieved."

In other action, voters approved a $17 million fiscal 2012 budget, borrowing $225,000 for a new town ambulance and sharing in the $2.5 million cost to replace the Old Colony Regional Vocational Technical High School roof and renovate an existing science laboratory. The latter project is being reimbursed 55 percent by the Massachusetts School Building Authority. Rochester's share of that cost, because of its student population at the regional school, will be $12,000 for the next 20 years.

Voters also agreed to two land purchases supported by Buzzards Bay National Estuary Program grants: $45,000 to purchase 29 acres on Marion Road that abut the town's park and recreation areas for conservation purposes, and $20,506 for 10.7 acres of land on Wolf Island Road for aquifer protection, conservation and passive recreation uses. Fairhaven is putting up most of the money for this purchase because that town uses it for its water supply, Town Administrator Richard LaCamera said previously.

Never miss a story

Choose the plan that's right for you.
Digital access or digital and print delivery.